MOTT THE HOOPLE - MOTT THE HOOPLE / WILDLIFE

Mott The Hoople - Mott The Hoople / Wildlife (2 on 1)
After listening to some tracks on the disc discovered the label has completely F*CKED up the tracks and order. I am trying to manually re-label each track. No wonder this is long "Out Of Print" ! It's all here, so I will attempt to get it correct. I am including the origional back cover, even though the songs are incorrect. Great quality CD though ! KRILL

In 1969 the Midlands group: Silence, was in search of a new lead singer. Mick Ralphs, Pete Watts, Verden Allen and Dale Griffin had decided that Stan Tippins, the vocalist for Silence, was not projecting the image and voice that would propel Silence to the top of the charts.

Enter a bass guitarist/vocalist: Ian Hunter Patterson. The group wanted their new singer to play piano and sing a bunch. Ian, could barely play piano but had a rough Dylan voice and style, that the band was searching for. Eleven days after Ian met Silence, the group was in the studio working on this album. Changes were in order. First the name of the new singer was shortened to Ian Hunter, Dale Griffin, became: Buffin, Pete Watts was now: Overend Watts. The band name of Silence was re-christened: Mott The Hoople.

This startling debut record opens with a cover of The Kinks: "You Really Got Me." Not happy with the vocal track, the instrumental track was used as it was deemed more powerful. "At The Crossroads" By Doug Sahm & "Laugh At Me" by Sonny Bono spotlight Ian Hunter's vocal skills as a Bob Dylan type singer as backed by a Rolling Stone's style band. The Ian, penned: "Backsliding Fearlessly" is the first original song on the record, and it is a gem. "Backsliding" features a smoldering vocal and relentless piano that is all anchored by the pounding beat...the first glimse of what Mott The Hoople were to become.

Side two opens with the first classic MTH song: "Rock And Roll Queen." With the guitars of Mick Ralphs, and shared vocals between Ian and Mick, this is now a BAND and here is right where it all begins. "Rabbit Foot & Toby Time" is a short jam that leads in the album's centerpiece: "Half Moon Bay" a sweeping 11 minute ballad orchestrated by the mighty organ of Verden Allen. Ian's voice croaks and cracks, and is very perfect for this music...."Half Moon Bay" is a must-listen for any rock music fan, this is a great, great song. A short bit of studio madness puts a rap on the original album entitled: "Wrath And Wroll" by producer/looney Guy Stevens.

Mott The Hoople, would go through lot's of changes in the five years, that they existed as a band. But, this over-looked debut of a record, is a great begining for an even greater rock band

Mott The Hoople Tracks:
1. You Really Got Me
2. At The Crossroads
3. Laugh At Me
4. Backsliding Fearlessly
5. Rock And Roll Queen
6. Rabbit Foot And Toby Time
7. Half Moon Bay
8. Wrath And Wroll

Wildlife Tracks:
9.Whiskey Women (3:41)
10.Angel Of Eighth Avenue (4:33)
11.Wrong Side Of The River (5:19)
12.Waterlow (3:02)
13.Lay Down (4:13)
14.It Must Be Love (2:24)
15.Original Mixed Up Kid (3:40)
16.Home Is Where I Want To Be (4:11)
17.Keep a' Knockin' (10:06)

http://www.fileserve.com/file/QTqXsn6/MOTT100578.rar